Over the past twelve months here in DHR Communications, we have increased our focus on creating video output and we now provide video as a service to our clients. Video is a fantastic way to communicate your message and should be seriously considered when planning your PR campaigns. Here are our tips on how and why you should embed video into your PR toolkit:

Demand for Video is on the Rise

With YouTube receiving more than one billion unique visitors every month it is clear that video has now become one of the leading tools for content marketing and by 2017, according to multinational technology company, Cisco, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic. Indeed, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world after Google. This alone is a strong indicator that people are now searching for content and information through video.

Starting Out – Things to Consider
When producing short videos there are a number to things to keep in mind. Firstly it is important to have an understanding of what the message is and who the target audience is that you’re trying to reach. When published online, video provides a great opportunity for audiences to engage and interact with a story which in turn can start conversations. So be mindful of the type of conversations the video might create.

Target audiences are more likely to enjoy and interact with video content because it enables them to consume more information without much effort. Short videos and sound bites have been proven to get more views, so keep the audience engaged with short and to the point messages that they are more likely to share.

Video won’t break the Bank
Traditionally there has always been a perception that video production is an expensive business but that simply is no longer the case.

Outlined below is a basic list of equipment, essential for shooting high quality video without stretching the purse strings:

Camera: Something as simple as a decent smartphone camera will do the trick, but if you want to get a little more mileage out of video it may be worth investing in a dedicated video or DSLR camera. Here in DHR, we have recently purchased a Canon 100D DSLR camera as our video skills have improved.Microphone: Bad sound can ruin great footage. A good lapel tie clip microphone is highly recommended if you plan on interviewing or featuring talking heads in your video. Again you can pick these up relatively inexpensively.Tripod: A steady shot always looks more professional, so we would always recommend having a sturdy tripod on hand.Editing Suite: There are a number of basic editing packages available to download for free. Here at DHR we use Windows Movie Maker. It’s simple and effective.

Once you have the basics, you are ready to shoot a great quality video. Checkout this short ‘Synopsis of the Event’ video that we shot at the 2015 INTO Political Briefing Day using our iPhones.

The Digital Press Release
Video is an ideal tool for boosting engagement and relevant video links should be considered for inclusion in press releases. If a picture is worth a thousand words how much is video worth? As traditional media outlets are increasingly active on online platforms and social media, they are looking for online content that can be shared easily.

We acknowledge that anything that helps a story land is well worth exploring and resource-strapped media organisations are always looking for something interactive that can draw multi-channel engagement. Video is the perfect tool for doing this as it has the ability to command stronger audience engagement over most other mediums.

We recently produced a short video with Moninne Griffith, the new Executive Director of BeLonG To. This was incorporated with the issue of the press release announcing her appointment and proved to be a great addition and accompaniment to the press release. The idea was to provide a short back story on Moninne and what she hopes to achieve within her new position:

Other client videos
We have produced a number of videos over the past few months featuring client launches, exhibitions, testimonials and behind-the-scenes coverage of different events. Why not subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can find an archive of all our client videos and keep an eye out for our video posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Video is a very exciting and fast moving medium and here in DHR we are committed to staying on top of trends and providing value-added services to our clients.

Here’s one of our favourite videos from 2015, the launch of the Healthy Ireland Sexual Health Strategy: